Our Fathers Who Art in Seireitei
by Clopin K. Trouillefou
Summary: Or Fate of the Fathers. At the moment, this is only a test to see what kind of response this gets, if any. Just read it and find out cuz I have no idea where it's going. I'll update this when I figure it out. Title may also change.
1. Rough Draft Overview

_Author's note: I have no idea where this is going, so buckle up and enjoy the ride :) I'm aware Sajin is canonically a wolf, but he always struck as more fox-like, so allow me some creative license in regards to his species and age._

Precious few knew anything about the famous Dog General, almost no one knew his given name, the one his parents gave him when he was born, he told no one. If anyone asked, they were told to simply call him Inu Taisho or Taisho as he preferred, thus he was known only as the Dog General and those that knew him only called him Taisho or Inutaisho-sama or some variant of them. He had the same temper as his sons but like his eldest was much more adept at controlling it than his younger son as well as their tendency to fiercely protect those they cared about. There, the similarities more or less ended, he was not cold and stoic like the elder son or callous and rough as the younger, though he did have his moments when he gave the same, 適eh!/Feh!sound as the halfbreed son when he was being obstinate. There were in fact two sides to the Dog General, the one those closest to him saw when he was at ease and outside the battlefield and the demon he became in combat, deadly and serious, prepared to fight to the death, calm and collected, always studying his opponent. When he was not defending those he loved or his lands, he was laid-back and enjoyed a good laugh and a bit of fun, ready with a chuckle or a smile. By nature, he was loving and nurturing as well as fiercely loyal and protective. A likeable fellow if one could get past his demon nature and know him for who he truly was. He was truly frightening when he wanted or needed to be, but he preferred peace and not having to resort to that. All this ran through the mind of the fox-like being observing the still figure kneeling at the edge of one the many rooftops of the Seireitei almost like a gargoyle of some kind gazing protectively over his domain.

Such was his power, even in death, that the Soul Society never dared cross him or stop him from spending too much of his time in the world of the living. He set his own boundaries and respected the rules of the Soul Society, though he had no qualms about bending them when he saw fit, always defending his decisions with sound reason and logic and willing to accept any punishment that would be dealt. He was not truly outside their control, but nor was he truly within it, he toed that line and they respected the immense power he held. After all, he was the same demon that had forged a blade able to transcend death and resurrect those that perished, though whatever limitations there were to those abilities no one knew and he never told. A breeze blew past, ruffling the fur of the large canine captain of Squad 7 and catching the silvery ponytail of the demon he watched.

"Something you need, Captain Komamura?the demon asked, having known the entire time that he wasn't alone.

"You have known the whole time I've been here, haven't you?Sajin asked.

"Your spiritual signature is hard to miss,golden eyes turned to gaze at the large captain.

"Inu Taisho,he muttered, 鏑ittle gets by you. I did not mean to disturb you, there was something I wished to ask you."

"If I knew anything of the pup you left behind,Taisho rose and turned to face him fully, 添ou think I would?"

"Your own pup befriended mine, I had hoped...Sajin trailed off.

Few accepted Sajin for what he was, but even fewer understood what he was, Taisho being among those few: a demon like the one before him. Where Taisho was a dog demon, Sajin was _kitsune_, one that had perished some five hundred years ago, leaving his only pup Shippo behind without no one to look after him. Though he was no Captain, Sajin treated Taisho with the utmost respect, demon hierarchy coming into play even here, his instincts urging him to yield to the dog as a_ taiyoukai_, a being superior to Sajin's own race.

He had always heard the legends of the Dog General, the _Inu no Taisho_, but since that great demon had died long prior to Sajin's own passing, he never thought he would... until he became a Soul Reaper. He entered the Seiretei, his face masked so none would see his true appearance, and had been summoned to Captain Yamamoto's office where the Head-Captain had introduced him to a fellow Soul Reaper who would recognize Sajin for what he was. He had been struck by the awesome presence as the _inu_ had stepped forward from the shadows, fierce golden eyes set beneath thick black brows, the crescent moon marking on his forehead naming him a former Lord of the Western Lands. The red markings on his eyelids and the jagged purplish stripe on either cheek symbols of the purity of his blood, his long silvery hair tied back in a topknot, waving bangs hanging loose in his face. Though the smile on his face was welcoming and sympathetic, everything about him radiated the great power he held. Sajin had recognized that he was in the presence of a high-ranking demon, but had had no inkling of his identity until Yamamoto announced the name Inu Taisho. Then the truth became known to the young Soul Reaper: the great Dog General himself had come to the Soul Society upon his death and had quickly risen to become a Soul Reaper. He had hurried after the Dog General when he had taken his leave, in disbelief that this demon could truly be the _Inu_ _no Taisho_.

"Are you truly the great Dog General?he'd asked, out of breath once he'd caught up to him.

He'd chuckled, 敵reat is a matter of perspective, friend, but I am the one they call the Dog General. You may call me Taisho."

He'd come to find out that Taisho was his preferred name, though it was not his given one. His given name was never shared and no one seemed to know what it was.

"Why are you called Dog General?Sajin had asked one day as they meandered through the Seiretei.

"I was general of my father's armies before I took his place,he'd readily supplied, 殿nd I am of course a dog demon... thus Dog General. The name rather stuck when I became Lord and by then I rather liked the sound of Inu Taisho so I took it as my name."

"This is not your true name?the fox had wondered.

"Of course not, what parent would call his child 'General'?the dog had replied, 的 take that back, it is a name my father would have given me had my mother but allowed it. No, Taisho is the name I prefer to the one my parents gave me."

Taisho was a _shinigami_ of great strength and skill courtesy of his nature as a demon and his experiences during his many years on Earth in the world of the living. Though he easily achieved _bankai_ and it was widely known that he had and that he could manifest his zanpakuto's spirit at will, he was not a captain or even a lieutenant by his own choice. Yamamoto would've preferred it if he were for then his powers would've been limited in the World of the Living, which is possibly why Taisho chose to remain without such rank. However, he'd long ago selected Taisho to become a member of Squad 1 for his power and his standing as a prime example of what all Soul Reapers should aspire to. Taisho did attend the Academy where he excelled at much of what was taught, skipped many of his lessons in the Demon Arts which, being a demon himself, he did not need, and was selected for early graduation. He'd spent some time in many of the squads where he made many friends, frequently talking with Juushiro Ukitake over tea while the Captain rested while Shunsui Kyoraku was his usual drinking partner. When the mood struck him, he sparred with Kenpachi Zaraki, for whom he'd taken a strange liking, and was among the few that could be in the presence of Byakuya Kuchiki without being affected by the intensity of the noble's spiritual pressure. He had a strange affinity for the head of the Kuchiki clan, Byakuya reminded him a great deal of his elder son Sesshomaru, though unlike Sesshomaru, Byakuya clearly had the capacity to love another. Taisho wondered if Byakuya had ever truly gotten over his wife's death.

Once upon a time, Taisho had spent a great deal of time with Byakuya after his parents' deaths with the approval of the boy's grandfather and had even spent some time training him. He'd had the same spirit and temper Sesshomaru did at a much younger age, it was almost like being with his own son again. No one was sure exactly how, but Taisho had some connection to the Shihouin clan, though whether he was an acknowledged member or just a close friend was unclear save to Yoruichi and those before her, but she never spoke of the extent of his connections. In whispers, it was speculated that perhaps the great dog demon was related to Lady Yoruichi since she shared the same golden eyes. Taisho made use of those connections when a young bat demon entered the Soul Society and, shortly after, the Seireitei to find him a place in the Stealth Force, a position which the bat was well suited for since _komori_, being nocturnal, moved and attacked silently and saw exceptionally well in the dark. Taisho maintained close relationships with Yoruichi, as per usual raising questions as to his depth within the Shihouin clan, while he ensured that the Stealth Force had indeed been the right place for his bat friend. By Yoruichi's and later, Sui Feng's accounts, he was an excellent addition to the Stealth Force, his demonic abilities and attributes serving them and the Soul Society as a whole well. Much of the time, the bat was garbed the same as all members of the Stealth Force, but there were times, especially when he would be in direct combat, that he preferred the attire he'd worn in the World of the Living.

Briefly, Sajin's eyes fell to the zanpakuto at the dog demon's side, still struggling to understand the complexities of that sword. Like all _shinigami_, Taisho had been given Asauchi, an unnamed blade with which to train until they imprint an essence of their own soul upon it as the shape and powers of the blade are determined by the Soul Reaper wielding it. Such a concept was familiar to the former lord since it seemed like a concept very similar to the creation of Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, but his zapakuto became unique. Somehow, even though it was not from his own powers that the original sword had been forged, the blade's name was revealed to be So'unga, its manifestation that of a shadowy dragon, its _shikai_ a reflection of the original sword's appearance. It was almost as though with the destruction of that demonic blade in living world, it'd been reincarnated as the zanpakuto of the only one who had ever controlled it. Many of its abilities remained the same as well, but that is where it became complicated for that was not the full extent of its power. Because its wielder was the creator and source of power for Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, some essence of those great blades manifested in the zanpakuto, their abilities echoed in the new So'unga. Such abilities depended on Taisho's own will, the powers of Tenseiga manifesting when he sought to heal, those of Tetsusaiga manifesting when he sought to protect, those of the original So'unga for... well, they weren't really sure. It seemed dependent not only on his will, but whichever attack he called for. It was a truly unique sword, Yamamoto theorizing that since its wielder was the creator of two powerful demonic blades that had drawn upon his own power, those powers were naturally echoed in the zanpakuto itself. In its present state, its unreleased state, at his side, it looked much like Tenseiga and Sajin wondered if the range of abilities could also be attributed to Taisho's own _youki_.

Taisho dressed in the same black _shihakusho _as all Soul Reapers, but he wore his own demon-bone armor and red-and-purple sash over it as well as his gauntlets, his double-tailed pelt covering his back and trailing behind him. Overall, it wasn't a look he much cared for, being garbed entirely in black where his own clothing had always been white with blue decorating the left shoulder. Yet he felt naked without the weight of the armor he'd spent so much time traveling in.

"500 years,the dog muttered, 鄭 bit long to be asking after your cub isn't it?"

"I suppose,the large fox agreed, 釘ut time means nothing for us, it slips by so quickly and we are so ageless. I have heard nothing of my pup's death so I am left to hope he still lives."

"Agreed, it becomes so easy to lose track of time, miss how many years have passed,Taisho agreed, 典he priestess made the decision to take Shippo in, I don't know that Inu Yasha would've kept him around after she returned to her own time. Why not make a trip to the living world and see for yourself?"

"I had considered, but how would I get into a gigai?Sajin asked, 鄭nd the world is such a large place, he could be anywhere."

"Tokyo was once Edo, start there, he may have stayed in the area,his friend shrugged, 撤erhaps ask that Kurosaki boy to keep his eyes and ears open."

Sajin said nothing, his amber gaze turning to look out over the Seireitei, Taisho opting to keep his mouth shut. The seventh division captain was sometimes a hard read, calm and serene, soft-spoken and shy due to his inhuman appearance and Taisho could understand his reluctance to go and find some word of the pup he'd left behind. The world was a large place and Shippo may well have moved to a different location, different country, different continent, many demons did especially in the wake of the world wars. Even Tokyo was a large place to look in and then what if he did come upon his son's grave or some word that he'd died at some point. Sometimes it was better not to know and just let yourself hope.


	2. The What Jewel?

The soft sound of a flute filled the night air, an orange-haired figure dressed in black traditional _haori_ and _hakama_ stood gazing down at the apartment building, a sword as long as he was in hand. He'd heard the legends of the Soul Piper though he'd never seen it, the large round demon looking like a full, yellow moon with eyes playing its song for the souls of children until they were ready to move on. He'd come to this part of Tokyo to perform a _konso_ on the spirit of a little girl who'd died in a fire in her apartment, her soul being unwilling to depart and tormenting her sick little brother, to find he was nearly too late to save her from the Soul Piper taking her to Hell for her sins. Thankfully a brave teenager had followed her, determined to save the poor child and help her realize how wrong she'd been about the circumstances of her death. Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper, stood by and watched the young woman who couldn't have been much younger than himself, hoping she wasn't about to complicate his job by being pulled into Hell with the child she was trying to save. Thankfully, it didn't turn out that way and she managed to save both herself and the girl's soul from her fate without him intervening and the spirit passed on to the next world without much more trouble. But there was something strange about the girl, he could feel something about her, some deep-buried mystic power that was seldom found in this world. Who or what was she? He had to find out, putting to use what Uryu had taught him about spirit ribbons to visualize her _reiryoku_ to see if it didn't tell him something to find when he did so, her _reiraku_ was a soft pink, a phenomenon he'd never witnessed before. What was with this girl?

Uryu Ishida gazed at Ichigo curiously, pushing his glasses up his nose with a sigh, pondering the question Ichigo had just asked.

"Ichigo," he asked, "Are you sure it was pink?"

"No, Uruyu," Ichigo replied, narrowing his eyes, "I'm just colorblind. Of course I'm sure it was pink!"

Rukia Kuchiki, seated at a desk beside Ichigo, tried to block out their conversation while she worked on something, though whether it was something for school or some Soul Reaper thing, one never knew.

"Strange," Uryu murmured, a finger to his chin as he thought, "I've never seen a pink spirit ribbon before."

It had been a few days since the incident, Rukia relieved that the matter of Mayu Ikeda had been finally been dealt with and she'd been put to rest, and Ichigo was still wondering about the strange girl who'd helped the poor child. He had no idea where to even start looking for answers since he had no information concerning her whereabouts or her name except that she may be somewhere in Tokyo, not that helped since Tokyo was a large area. So he thought Uryu, being the know-it-all on spirit ribbons and spiritual powers he made himself out to be, might know something about the odd color of her _reiraku_.

"Forget it," Ichigo sighed, turning to his school work, "I'll stop by Urahra's shop after school and ask him."

"Maybe she's part soul reaper," Orihime offered.

"How'd you come up with that?" Ichigo looked at her.

"Well," she thought, putting a finger to her lips, "According to Uryu a soul reaper's spirit ribbon is red, right? And everyone else's is white. Red and white make pink, so..."

Ichigo and Uryu just looked at each other, not having the heart to tell her she was wrong, after all if that were true then Ichigo's own spirit ribbon would've been pink since he was part Soul Reaper and part human. Luckily Orihime didn't take much notice of their silence as she kept rambling to herself.

Something odd was going on, of that Rukia knew what with the Noh Mask that had wreaked havoc in a different part of Tokyo and the strange incidents on a shrine the Soul Society had caught wind of and it had only started within the last few months. Ichigo had also mentioned seeing a boy dressed in red clothing with what had appeared to be a pair of dog ears atop his head and armed with a beaten, old blade the night he'd set off to perform a _konso_ on Mayu Ikeda. That had become urgent since the longer a spirit remained tied to the living world after so violent a death, the closer they came to going bad and the Mayu had been terribly close to becoming a Hollow. She walked with Ichigo after school over to Urahara's shop, the group sitting down as Tessai prepared some tea and Ichigo describing what he'd seen.

"A pink spirit ribbon you say," Urahara murmured, putting his folded fan to his lips, "Interesting. I've never come across anything of the sort. What do you know about this girl?"

"Nothing," Ichigo replied, "Except that she might live somewhere around Tokyo."

"How odd," the shop-owner pondered, "I'm not sure what to tell you, Ichigo. This isn't something I'm familiar with and without knowing who she is, there's not much information we can gather."

"Do you know anything," Rukia put in, "about the incidents happening at that shrine? They could be connected to the girl somehow."

"What incidents at what shrine?" Ichigo demanded.

"There have been reports of strange things happening," Rukia explained, "At a shrine in Tokyo. The Soul Society doesn't want to intervene since it's not spiritual or hollow activity, but it is causing some concern."

"Ah yes, those incidents," the exiled Soul Reaper grinned, opening his fan, "I have heard of those."

"How come no one tells me anything?!" the red-head exclaimed.

"Calm down, Ichigo," Rukia said, "It's not something you need to worry about as a substitute Soul Reaper and like I said the Soul Society isn't getting involved, they're only keeping an eye on things."

"So what the hell do you know about them, Kisuke?" he turned to look at the blond.

"The incidents are most likely centered around the re-emergence of an ancient talisman," he replied, becoming serious, "Those that have investigated have reported sensing some strange power there on occasion. My own information says it may be linked to the Shikon Jewel."

"The what?" Ichigo looked at him.

"That's just an old fairy tale," Rukia remarked, "No one's heard any news of that thing for hundreds of years. If you really wanna know, Ichigo, you should visit the shrine."

"What shrine?" he asked, "This is Japan, there're hundreds of shrines."

"There's one specific shrine," she replied, "In Tokyo that's built on the site of the village that supposedly housed the Shikon jewel, but far as I know that's just an old story."

"Hmm, there is one Soul Reaper old enough to remember those stories," Urahara said.

"What, Old man Yama?" Ichigo asked borrowing Shunsui Kyoraku's nickname for the head-captain.

"All right, you got me," his mentor chuckled, "There are many old enough, but there is one who may have the answers you want, one who was alive on Earth when the jewel came into being. He came from feudal Japan, so he'll know all about the Shikon."

"Kisuke," Rukia interjected, "Ichigo spotted another figure that night with the girl, he said he had white hair and dog ears. What do you make of that?"

"Hmm," for several moments Urahara was silent as he pondered how best to answer that, "My sources have told me of someone with that general description coming and going from the Shikon shrine. Perhaps you're right, Rukia, it is all connected. Your best bet will be to ask him."

"Who is this guy you say has the answers?" Ichigo asked, more than just impatient with this talk.

"Like Urahara said," Rukia sighed, "He lived in feudal Japan and became a Soul Reaper after death. That was an era filled with things you humans wouldn't understand and a great many hollows created by the tragedies of those times. The one he's talking about is a powerful _shinigami_, highly skilled with a sword and the demon arts, he works with the Kido Corps now and again. He's even more knowledgeable about obscure things than Urahara."

"Oh, c'mon, Rukia," Urahara waved his fan at her with a chuckle, "Why so harsh?"

"I'm not sure how much use he'll actually be," she remarked, narrowing her eyes at the shop-owner, "Though Urahara may be right, he may have the information, but he seldom leaves the Soul Society. Head-captain Yamamoto prefers to keep him close by, his powers are captain-level, but he is not even a lieutenant, there is some concern that he may adversely affect this world even though he's very good at showing restraint. He also has a bad habit of bending the rules and laws of the Seireitei, only obeying those that make sense to him. Even the head-captain hesitates to cross him."

"Man, who is this guy?" Ichigo wondered, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're better off seeing for yourself," Rukia responded, "But I'll tell you this much, he's not human nor has he ever been. I'll locate him and tell him of the situation, but you may have to speak with him yourself, Ichigo."

"Thinking of popping in on the Dog General are we?" a voice asked.

Ichigo turned to see a smirking Yoruichi Shihouin standing in the doorway, leaning against the wall, in her human form rather than disguised as a cat.

"Yoruichi," Ichigo muttered, "Who...?"

"The Dog General," Yoruichi explained, moving to stand beside Urahara, "the _Inu no Taisho _was a legend in the Feudal Era. He was extremely powerful, a warrior without equal. As a Soul Reaper he is skilled in kido, hakuda, zanjutsu, and shunpo. His power's enough to keep Kenpachi entertained when they spar, though he does hesitate to face him without the eye-patch. He's also an expert at keeping his spiritual pressure under control and not to release too much than necessary."

"How do you know him so well?" he wondered.

"He's had close ties to the Shihouin clan for as long as I can remember," she said, "I've gotten to know him quite well over the years."

"I know he also has some connection to my brother," Rukia put in.

"Mm," the flash-step princess nodded, "He once spent a lot of time with Byakuya when he was a kid, said he reminded him of his older son."

"His son?" the substitute soul reaper questioned.

"As I understand it," she went on, "He had two sons in the world of the living. Byakuya to this day reminds him a lot of the older one, so he's always had a soft spot for the boy. You could learn a thing or two from the Dog General, Ichigo."


End file.
